A Georgia man was arrested on Thursday and charged with murdering a retired Jersey City police officer who was found face down in his Jersey City home with an electrical cord around his neck on March 1, 2012, officials said yesterday.

Anibal Cordero, 44, was arrested in Waynesboro, Ga., where he lives, on the charge of burglary and the murder and felony murder of former police officer Frank Goggan, 67, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Gene Rubino announced.

Cordero was taken into custody by officers of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, accompanied by Hudson County Prosecutor's Office homicide detectives and Jersey City police detectives, who flew to Georgia to assist in the arrest. A Hudson County grand jury indicted Cordero on the charges on July 15.

"The return of this indictment is the culmination of a wide-ranging and collaborative, two-year investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit, Jersey City Police Department Major Case Unit, the New York City Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Burke County Sheriff's Office and the Waynesboro Police Department," Acting Hudson County Prosecutor Guy Gregory said.

On March 1, 2012 officers responded to Goggan's Seaview Avenue home after concerned neighbors said they had not seem him in a while. The officers found Goggan dead in his living room with the power cord around his neck and he had also suffered trauma to his head and neck and had broken ribs, officials said at the time.

The officers found the front door open and it appeared a burglar or burglars had entered the home through a window, officials said at the time.

Goggan retired from the department in 1994. During his career he was awarded one Excellent Police Service Award and one commendation.

Cordero is being held in Georgia and will be extradited to Hudson County to face the charges, said Rubino, who would not comment on how investigators had connected Cordero to the murder.

Acting Jersey City Police Chief Philip Zacche thanked the prosecutor's office detectives for their work leading to the arrest.

"I must also take this time to recognize Jersey City Police Department members Sgt. Mark Conroy, retired Sgt. Scott McNulty, Detectives Paul Jensen, Detective Mark Inzinna and Detective Brian Rabbit for all their hard work and dedication in bringing this case to a successful conclusion," Zacche said.